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metaphysics

noun
/mɛtəˈfɪzɪks/

Etymology

1560s; plural of metaphysic, from Middle English methaphesik, methaphisik, methaphisique, metaphesyk, methafisik, metaphesyk, methephysyk, from Old French metafisique, methaphisique and Medieval Latin metaphysica, methephisica, from Byzantine Greek μεταφυσικά (metaphusiká), from the title of the collection by Aristotle μετὰ τὰ φυσικά (metà tà phusiká, “Following The Natural World”), a collection that comes after (μετά (metá)) Aristotle's collection entitled τὰ φυσικά (tà phusiká, “The Natural World”), from φυσικός (phusikós, “natural”). By surface analysis, meta- + physics.

  1. derived from μεταφυσικά
  2. derived from metaphysica
  3. derived from metafisique
  4. derived from methaphesik

Definitions

  1. The branch of philosophy which studies fundamental principles intended to describe or…

    The branch of philosophy which studies fundamental principles intended to describe or explain all that is, and which are not themselves explained by anything more fundamental; the study of first principles; the study of being insofar as it is being (Latin: ens in quantum ens).

    • The late philosopher Morris R. Cohen of CCNY was asked by a student in the metaphysics course, "Professor Cohen how do I know that I exist?" The keen old prof replied, "And who is asking?"
    • Philosophers sometimes say that metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of the universe.

  2. The view or theory of a particular philosopher or school of thinkers concerning the first…

    The view or theory of a particular philosopher or school of thinkers concerning the first principles which describe or explain all that is.

    • The metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas holds that all real beings have both essence and existence.
    • In Aristotelian metaphysics physical objects have both form and matter.
    • In his Pensées, Pascal mentioned some first principles recognized within his metaphysics: space, time, motion, and number.

  3. The metalogic of physics

    The metalogic of physics; the logical framework of physics.

  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. Any fundamental principles or rules.

      • The metaphysics of global power has changed. Markets are now more valuable than territory.

    2. The study of a supersensual realm or of phenomena which transcend the physical world.

      • I have a collection of books on metaphysics, covering astral projection, reincarnation, and communication with spirits.

    3. Displeasingly abstruse, complex material on any subject.

      • This political polemic strikes me as a protracted piece of overwrought, fog-shrouded metaphysics!

    4. plural of metaphysic

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at metaphysics. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01metaphysics02framework03determine04character05nature06spiritual07sacred

A definitional loop anchored at metaphysics. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at metaphysics

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA